Israel lancaster



ISRAEL LANCASTER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND Letters Patent No. 74,552, dated February I8, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, ISRAEL LANCASTER, of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented Improvements in Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact dcscriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention has reference solely to communicating a reciprocating motion to the cuttingbar; and to enable others skilled in the art to make and usegmy invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure I is a side elevation, showing the edge oi the camiiange, and the reciprocating lever and its connections.

Figure II is a top View, showing the out-,er side ofthe cemfilange, and the lever and its connections. Figure III shows different views of the shifting or fulcrum-platc, and the head (angular head) containing the friction-rollers, and forming a part ofthe lever.

On the side of the driving-wheel a, Figs. I and II, is placed the cam-flange b b. The front edge of this `harige is shown at Fig. I. vIts walls are parallel to the shaft of the driving-wheel, and about two inches in depth. It is so constructed that the highest point of either side is immediately opposite the lowest point of the other side. This flange aetuates thevbrating-lever, giving motion to ther knives. -A.t c c are shown two friction-rollers, revolving on a stud, fastened to the block d. 4These rollers work on cach side of the cam-ilange, and are placed so that their centres are on a straight line to the centre ofthe driving-wheel. The block cZ has a shaft, e, Fig. III, projecting from its under side, and working in the socketf ofthe fulcrnm-plate g. To the upper part of this plate the lever H isfastcned by rivets or bolts, the bolt 'L' passing through the end of the lever, through the shaft e and socketf, thus holding the block Z to the plate g. At m is seen a block, setting up against the end of e, its shoulder impinging on the c'nd off. Against this block/is rmly screwed the nut n of the bolt c', preventing thebloek d from bouncing up while the machine is in motion. At le is seen an edge view, and at L a top view ofthe block m.

It will be seen that the rollers c c, the block d, and the arm H, taken together, form a reciprocating lever, with the power applied at c c, the fulcrum at z', and the resistance at o, where the knife-bar is attached. The plate g is pivoted atp to the frame of the harvester, and also, while in gear, is fastened to the same frame at r. To throw the machine out of gear, theend of the plate g at i', -Fig. II, is brought ont to thc point s, thus removing the rollers c e from contact with the cam-flange b. i

It is evident that in the movement of the machine the eamdangc will have a constant tendency to elevate the end of the block d containing the rollers. This movement is very Wearing on the journals and bearings ofthe fulcrnm. To remedy this defect I employ a combined spring and bearing, seen at T, Fig. I. The lower end of this hearing works in the slot u of thc block d; the other end is riveted to thestand w, which in its turn is securely fastened'to the harvester-frame. The only piace where any wear is possibleis at the slot a, which is not very great. This is the only kind of bearing I have over found which would for any great length of Ytime withstand the very rough movement of this part of the mechanism. The bearing should be thin enough to allow it to spring, say one-tenth of its length. This spring assists in overcoming the inertia of the different parts forming thc vibrating-lever, at each extremity of the stroke. Both the combined spring and bearing T, and the support w, may be made in one piece, fastened co the harvester-frame.

The advantageof twol rollers and a cam-flange over one roller and a cam-groove, which last have been long in use, is, that with the groove the roller is reversed at every stroke, and as the stroke is very rapid, the roller often docs not move at all, but is stationary and wears oil` each side so as to become flat. There is also great waste of power in overcoming the inertia of' a roller, weighing from two to live pounds, from eight to twelve hundred times a minute. This is all obvi'atcd by the use of two rollers, as they cach revolve in one direction continuously. I

There is another feature of this invention to which I wish to call attention, and which I consider valuable. I am convinced that the proper way to construct a. earn-movement harvester is to have a very short throw at the cams, and along vibrating-arm to getup the proper-throw of knife-bnr. New, if both the fulcrum of the lever and the cutting-bar are upon one side of a. vertical line drawn through the centre of the driving-wheel, the point o or knife-bar attachment will be thrown so fur before 'or behind the driving-wheel as to make a. very clumsy machine. Even when the fulcrum is-upon the driving-wheel shaft,'as it is in some varieties of cammevement, the length of arm makes the machine clumsy. I remedy this by putting the fulcrum upon one side of a. vertical line drawn through the driving-wheel shaft, and the knife-bar on the other side, thus making a, very compact machine.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. I claim plncingthe fulcrum of the reciprocating lever H d, which is between the points at which the power and resistance are applied to the suid lever, lupon one side of a. vertical' line drawn through the driving- Wheel centre and the knife-bur upon the other side. I v

2. I claim the fulcrum-plate g, constructed and operated es described and for the purpose mentioned.

3. I claim the lever H Z and'riction-rollers c c, acting 4in combination with the cam-flange b b.

4. I claim the combined spring and bearing T, constructed and operating as described and for. the purpose mentioned.

ISRAEL LANCASTER.- Witnesses H. A. LANCASTER, F. W. PLUMMER. 

